OFWguru Workabroad Guides

Location, Culture and Pinoys in Saudi Arabia

Location

A Middle Eastern country occupying most of the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, has coastlines along the Persian Golf and the Red Sea.

The holy Muslim cities of Mecca and Medina, where physically and financially able Muslims must go to make a pilgrimage, are also found in Saudi Arabia.

Culture

Interesting facts:1. In 2013, Saudi Arabia is the number 1 destination for land based OFWs, reaching almost 400,000 in deployment.

2. The world’s tallest building will soon be found in Saudi Arabia. By 2018, the Kingdom Tower will rise and reach more than a kilometer in height.

3. This year (2015), women in Saudi Arabia will finally be allowed to vote in the elections for the first time in history.

Saudi Arabia’s state religion is Islam. Although you can have a different religion, such as Catholicism for most Filipinos, public observance and the conversion to other religions other than Islam are forbidden. One should also take note of the five daily prayers as all shops and offices close during these times. During Ramadan, everyone including non-Muslims is required to follow the rules of the fasting month, at least in public.

Pinoys in Saudi Arabia

There are close to 1.3 million Filipinos residing in Saudi Arabia, being one of the countries with the most Filipinos living in. Saudi Arabia is an oil-based economy, having the second largest reserves of petroleum in the world and ranking as one of the largest exporters of petroleum. Because of this, most Filipinos living and working there are in the oil and service sectors.